Support for horses&#39; heads.



No. 813,759. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906 J. B. WILLIAMS & B. 0. BROWN.

SUPPORT FOR HORSES HEADS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1904.

UNITED sTApns PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. WILLIAMS AND EBENEZER (1. BROWN, OF SUSANVILLE. CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27. 1906.

Application filed November 21, 1904. Serial No. 233,778.

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that we, JOSEPH B. WILLIAMS and EBENEZER C. BROWN, citizens of the United States, residing at Susanville, in the county of Lassen and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supports for Horses Heads, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved support for horses heads, the object of our invention being to provide an apparatus which will take the place of the ordinary checkrein, but with many attendant advantagesas, for instance, it will be more comfortable than the checkrein, will give the horse the free use of his head, will increase his speed in trotting or pacing, and will also compel the horse to trot or pace rather than to gallop.

Our invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends, hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.-

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device applied to the head of a horse. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the device detached. Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view of the supporting tube and stem. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view,

partly in section, showing the spring-hook.

for attaching the chin-rest to the supportingstem.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a rectangular piece of leather adapted to be attached by short straps 2 to the breast-strap 3 of the horse. Upon a metallic plate 4, attached to said leather plate 1, is secured a hook5, the end of which engages an elongated .eye 6, secured, as shown at 7, in the end of a tube 8. The hook fits somewhat snugly within the eye, allowing only a slight side movement of the tube. Within the tube 8 slides a stem 9, its lower end being held within said tube by an enlargement 10, engaging an internal flange 11 on the end of the tube. Around said stem is a collar 12 adjustably secured by a set-screw 13, and between said collar and the end of the tube is a compressed spring 14. The upper end of the stem is slit vertically, as shown at 15, and in said slit is pivoted a hook 16,having a tooth .17, adapted to be engaged by the end of a sleeve 18, pressed up by a spring 19 between said sleeve and the collar 12. This hook is adapted to enter an eye 20 on the under side of a curved metallic plate 21, to which is secured a leather strap 22, having extensions 23 at each end, the ends of said extensions forming tongues to enter buckles 24, secured upon the inner portions of the extensions. Upon the leather strap 22 above the metallic plate21 is secured a thin piece of leather 25, having attached thereto a pad 26, of fibrous material, which is adapted to fit underneath the horses chin and form a chinrest, the extensions of the strap being buckled around the rings 27 of the bridle.

It will be seen that this device forms a resilient support for the horses head and takes the place of the checkrein; but it is much superior thereto in many respects. First, it is more comfortable, because the horses head is supported instead 'of being suspended, as heretofore. Therefore, the strain on the mouth of the curb of the bit is avoided. Secondly, it gives the horse the free use of his head in running. A horse will naturally extend his head forward in running. Now a checkrein prevents this, thereby reducing the speed of the horse. The present device does not in the least prevent the extension of the horses head, and therefore a better speed is obtained from the horse. Moreover, the device naturally tends to prevent the horse from'galloping, as in the latter movement there is a considerable reciprocation of the breast-strap relatively to the head, so that this device makes it uncomfortable for the horse to gallop, whereas in trotting or pacing the breast is maintained at substantially the same distance from the head during the whole time. Therefore by this contrivance the horse is naturally constrained to trot or pace rather than to gallop.

We claim 1. A support for a horses head comprising a part adapted to be attached to a part of the harness around the breast of the horse, a part adapted to be attached so as to rest underneath the chin of the horse, a tube attached to one of said parts, arod attached to the other part and sliding in said tube, and a spring resisting the movement of the rod into the tube, substantially as described. v

2. A support for a horses head comprising a part adapted to be attached to the breaststrap, a part adapted to be attached so as to rest underneath the chin of the horse, a tube tween said collar and the end of the tube, the rod having a spring latch-hook secured thereto for engagement with the part to which it is attached, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing attached to one of said parts, a rod attached to the other part and sliding in said tube, said rod having a collar thereon, and a spring between said collar and the end of the tube, substantially as described. I 3. A support for a horses head comprising l a part adapted to be attached to the breastwitnesses.

strap, a part adaptedto be attached so as to JOS. B. WILLIAMS.

rest underneath the chin of the horse, a tube EBENEZER 0. BROWN. attached to one of said parts, a rod attached. Witnesses:

to the other part and sliding in said tube, said FRANK M. ANNIs,

rod having a collar thereon, and a spring be- GEO. N. MoDow. 

